Bruce is in the elevator headed to the Rec Room. When the elevator stops to let Steve on, Bruce almost gets off right then.

"Dr. Banner, how are you?"

"Just fine, Steve. And you?"

"I'm swell. Guess I'll see you this evening along with everyone else at the restaurant?"

Bruce stops fidgeting with his glasses, "Actually I don't think I'll be joining everyone for dinner tonight. I'll just eat something here and catch up on … some things." Bruce goes quiet as the elevator opens and proceeds to walk toward the lounge where Tony and Thor are currently seated.

"Hey, well I'll keep you company. There's something I've been meaning to speak with you about anyway." Says Steve, falling into step behind Bruce.

Bruce suddenly emits a humorless laugh and turns to face him, "You don't give up, don't you, Captain?"

Hearing the strain in his tone, both Thor and Tony look over at them.

"Pardon?"

"Come on now. You've been circling me for a couple of days. I know you're planning to get back at me due to the whole itching powder fiasco so all I'm asking you is to go ahead and get on with it so I can get some peace of mind. You can do it right now if you like."

With Tony and Thor having stopped talking completely and Bruce staring back at Steve so seriously, it seemed out of place for Steve to burst out laughing into the uncomfortable silence.

"Gosh, you don't know how hard it's been for me, keeping a straight face for this long." Steve manages to say between laughter.

"Am I the only one who missed the punch line here?" Tony finally asks.

Bruce looks exasperated by now. "No, I missed it too. Steve what on earth is going on?"

"Relax Bruce, I've just been pulling your leg." Steve says, a bit breathless from laughing.

"When exactly?"

"This whole time I've been joshing you. I've been acting suspicious on purpose, making you think I'm gonna pull some big joke on you, but you see the joke is that I was never going to pull one."

Bruce frowns, "You mean you aren't going to prank me?"

"No, this was the prank, technically."

Tony and Thor start chuckling, mostly out of relief that the tension was over. Grinning, Tony stands up to pat Steve on the back, "Well I gotta give it to you, Cap, that was pretty damn clever of you. You really made him sweat it out. You even had me thinking you were up to something."

"That was no accident, Stark. I dropped those hints on purpose because I knew you were a blabber mouth who'd run and tell Bruce."

"Am not." Protests Tony.

"Yes you are, because it worked." Steve says, rolling his eyes, "Anyways this has been pretty funny, I must admit, though I hope I didn't cause too much trouble. But I do think this harmless gag makes us even now, Dr. Banner. No hard feelings?" Smiling, Steve starts to face Bruce, only to have him sharply turn his back on the group.

"Bruce? I said no hard feelings, right?" Steve tries again.

Though no one can see his front, it's obvious Bruce's chest is heaving. In a deep raspy voice he growls out, "So…funny…I forgot… to laugh…"

Before Bruce had the chance to sink to his knees and start groaning, Thor bolts upright from his seat, Tony takes a step back, and Steve's eyes go wide as his smile falters.

It only takes two seconds before he goes into full-on Captain America mode, "Tony, is one of your emergency suits still in the briefcase behind the bar over there?"

"Yes."

"Then equip it. Thor, you've got to hold him off until Tony can suit up and I proceed with an evac.. " Steve commands once Bruce rips his shirt and buttons go flying.

Thor nods and immediately summons nearby Mjǫlnir to his grasp while Steve makes for the exit, "JARVIS, alert the others that this is an emergency and that I'm telling them to leave the tower pronto! Also, get Director Fury on the line. Tell him we might have a possible Hulk situation - code red. Have him send back up in case things get ugly for unsuspecting civilians. I gotta make it down stairs in time to grab my shield!" Without another word, Steve ducks out the room.

Thor is in battle stance and Tony is halfway between bounding over the bar before he notices Bruce's shoulders shaking. "Wait a minute… something's weird. Bruce?"

Bruce stands up and turns around perfectly normal, no shade of green gracing his face. It becomes evident that he's trembling because he's biting back laughter.

Bruce holds his hands up to ward off a still tense looking Thor, "No no it's okay. I'm sorry guys. I was just… I was just trying to scare the wits out of Steve."

"Then it is only a jest?" Thor asks, sounding disappointed that he didn't have to fight after all.

"Yes, I'm okay. See? I got a little carried away and ripped my perfectly good shirt , but I'm fine."

Smiling again, Tony props himself up against the bar, "So you aren't about to tear Cap's innards out? You sneaky bastard, I didn't think you had it in you!"

" Of course not. He played his joke well, leaving me clueless till the end, and I have to admire his execution. The whole affair was quite funny, thinking on it now; but I just figured I'd get him back sooner rather than later.

"Well for that, you deserve a drink, buddy." Remarks Tony, clearly impressed.

"I shall tell our friends that all is well." Says Thor, about to leave after understanding the danger was over.

"Oh right, Hammer Time reminds me. Guess I can cancel Cap's message to JARVIS."

"Wait, don't. Both of you. Let it play out."

Thor turns back around, looking undoubtedly confused.

Tony stops halfway at pouring Bruce's drink, "Um okay, why might I ask?"

" Barton and Romanoff's annoyance aside, I'm assuming Fury won't be at all pleased with Steve once he finds out he made a request for SHIELD manpower over a false alarm." Points out Bruce.

"Man, is that the understatement of the year."

An impish glint comes into Bruce's eye as he concludes, "Either way, that in itself makes the paranoia I've experienced these last several days, all the worthwhile."